We had a wonderful weekend at the lake. The twins brought their parents and we had a great time sailing on Sunday. Wit their help, we "un-named" the boat in preparation for it's christening on July 4th. Our son got some great pix and I need to get some from him to put up here. They are going to be super sailors. At 2 1/2 they already have great sea legs. Julian was walking the deck right away. Isabella took a little longer, but was walking all over the place in no time. Even with the balance issues that come with cumbersome pfd's, they both did just great. I think they'll grow up to be great sailors! Hopefully I'll have some pix of the little darlings to show you very soon.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

I'm putting this up on Friday night and telling blogger to post it on Saturday morning. We'll see if it works! I know it's Friday, but this is for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge. If you haven't visited her blog, you really should - wonderful stuff.Recipe:Stamps: Sweet SerendipityPaper: So Saffron, Ruby Red, Tempting Turquoise, Fancy Pants dpInk: Ruby RedAccessories: Primas, brad, punch, sponges

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Today's Ways to Use It challenge on Splitcoast Stampers was to use birds on your card. I just love this set and have to start designing cards for next month's Christmas Card Stamp Camp (more details to follow on that soon). I colored the image with my Koh I Nor pencils and SU markers and wanted to find a way to use this ribbon I have left from last season. That part still needs a little work!

Thanks to to everyone who left me comments both here and on SCS about my card from yesterday. I was totally floored by how many folks left kind words. We took ds and ddl and the kids out for dinner and when I came back and went to look - well anyway, thanks so much!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

When I first started looking through the gallery of images that folks were uploading, I started favoriting one, then two, then oh my - they were all so stunning! This sketch brought out the best in everyone who tried it - thanks Roxie! I had to give it a try too when I got home from work. Here's what I came up with. I'm not used to working in square format, but it was fun!

I wanted to post these make and takes from our downline meeting last week, but I lost my bumble bee and just found it last night. We had a great time and I think all of us learned lots of new stuff! The flowery one was mine, the wonderful "B" was from our fearless leader Roselyn and the really, really, really cute "Hello" came from Janet who travelled all the way from New Mexico to join us.

Also, Renee has some awesome blog candy up for grabs. Visit her blog and check it out!

Our Dinamite Stampers group meets tonight, so I'll be back with another slideshow of our swaps tonight or tomorrow morning.

Monday, June 23, 2008

I am in love with this backgrounder from CHF! I finished with my swaps for my downline meeting tomorrow night (slideshow coming up tomorrow or Wednesday) and thought I might play with this stamp a bit.

Friday, June 20, 2008

A little background ... my family is honoring my uncle this summer (he doesn't know anything about this yet so shhhhh!) and my stepmother and I took on the task of creating a memory book for him. She did this for my dad for his 80th birthday last year and did such a wonderful job that she got elected to do this one too. Last year I had not yet been introduced to the wonderful world that is Stampin Up and I wasn't a whole lot of help to her. This year, however, it is a different story. She came up with the concepts and inspiration for this book, but I was able to pitch in and help out with the execution. These pages will be the dividers between the sections of memory pages that have been submitted by family and friends. I have been nervous about this as I have no experience with scrapbooking and this is such an important project. Hopefully, these will be okay and my family will like them.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Our terrific group of demonstrators had our monthly downline meeting today. Hosted by the ever gracious Roselyn, we had our usual fill of fun - creating, sharing and comraderie! This is one great group of talented gals. Here's a slideshow of our swaps -

Thanks so much for visiting my blog. Hope to have the slideshow of the scrapbook pages up for you to see tomorrow and look for another PIF coming up next week.

DDL got all her test results from the doc and we are going to have a perfectly wonderful baby boy in the family in November! I think we're destined to have mostly boys! Makes us appreciate our two darling girls even more though. Check in on Autumn's blog to see her baby tracker and read about her adventures this time around!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

I have a downline meeeting tomorrow for which I need 12 swaps - I have none done and am mildly panic stricken. I had to prepare make and takes, and I got that all done, and I know what I am making for my swaps, and have some stuff prepared, but only one assembled. Oh well, I'll be scurrying in the morning before the meeting. I needed a little stress relief while I was trying to think up a swap, and this is what I came up with. Too much to do for a swap tomorrow, but it might be a future swap. I love this set and I am so glad it didn't show up on the retired list.

Early day today so I'm headed to bed so I can do it all over again tomorrow! Downline meeting on Thursday morning, so there'll be a slidesho of all the wonderful swaps on Thursday evening or Friday morning. Scrapbook is almost done too! Yay!

Monday, June 16, 2008

This is a bit out of my comfort zone (cutting things out), but I had great fun making it. I got to play with some of my new stamps from Little Paper Shop, a wonderful set called Take Time, I got to play with my new Kohinoor solid color pencils from Gina K, and I got to do the Mojo Monday 42 challenge. I haven't done one of Julee's challenges in quite a while, but today's really grabbed me and I really wanted to give it a try. Hope you like it as much as I do.

Recipe:Stamps: Take Time, Frames with a FlourishPaper: Really Rust, Basic Black, Basic Grey Archaic, Naturals IvoryInk: VersamarkAccessories: ribbon, brad, punches, copper ep, Kohinoor pencils and blender stumpThanks for visiting. I'm still finishing up my scrapbook pages. The slideshow is probably a day or two away. I'll be nervous until it's finally done and put together and presented to my uncle. Yikes! First scrapbook project and I have to pick a really important one!

Friday, June 13, 2008

We have a friend turning 60 and I needed a quick card. DH really liked this saying, but I don't have the set so I printed it up on my computer. This is more of my mystery paper (both cards tonight are from that batch), so if you recognize it, please leave me a comment and let me know.

This card is a Father's Day card for my DH who is a sailor. I borrowed this stamp set (Ships Ahoy) from one of my Stamp Camp gals, Diane, and have been dying to use it for something. I hope he likes it! It sure was fun to make. He never reads my blog, so I'm not worried that he will see it before Sunday.

Busy, busy - but soon I will be putting up a slideshow with my very first scrapbook pages! They are for a memory book for my uncle and I have been so nervous about these. I think they are turning out okay, you can tell me once you see the slideshow.

Monday, June 9, 2008

I am sorry to any of you waiting on the blog candy announcement. I'm going to have one of the Stamp Camp gals draw a name tonight and I will post it first thing in the morning. Thanks for your patience!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

I have been so very remiss in my participation in challenges lately. I really miss it and was glad to be able to do the color challenge yesterday and then today - the Sketch Challenge too! Here's my entry, didn't have as much time to fuss as I might have liked, but I think it is still pretty elegant even though it's simple.

As promised, to celebrate my visitor counter reaching 5000 hits, I want to give away some blog candy to say thanks to everyone for spending some time with me here on my blog. I appreciate each and every one of you! Just leave a comment on this post and I will draw a winner on Monday, June 9. If you have a blog and link up to my blog, come back and leave me a comment with a link to your blog and you will get two chances to win!

Thanks again for visiting and for all your encouraging words. I appreciate you all!

Monday, June 2, 2008

I have some of the best uplines! Roselyn took time from her VERY busy schedule to spend some time with me today to help me work through some problems I am having with a scrapbook project. This is a very special project and she was so sweet and patient with me. I made her this card to let her know how much I appreciate her. Some colors just don't want to work with my camera/lighting set up (which is very primitive - at best). This card is a certainly celery base with tempting turquoise and very vanilla and the picture doesn't really do it justice. It's not a super fancy card or anything, pretty straightforward and simple - inspired by Angie Kennedy Juda over on her blog Chic n' Scratch. What a great blog she has. You should definitely check it out.